Bharti Airtel shares in focus: Shabnam Sinha to succeed Sunil Bharti Mittal as Airtel Payments Bank Chairperson

The telecom major, in a regulatory filing, informed that Shabnam Sinha will succeed Sunil Bharti Mittal as the Chairperson of Airtel Payments Bank Limited for a three-year term beginning October 1, 2026, following her appointment by the Board and approval by the Reserve Bank of India (RBI).

Sunil Bharti Mittal will conclude his tenure as Non-Executive Chairman and step down from the board, effective September 30, 2026, the company said.

Sinha currently serves as an Independent Director on the board of Airtel Payments Bank, where she chairs the special committee of the board for monitoring frauds and is a member of the risk management and IT committees.

Commenting on the transition, Mittal said, “We built one of the country's largest banking networks, brought underserved communities into formal banking, and delivered a safe, digital-first experience. I thank our team, Board and stakeholders for their trust, and I am confident that under Shabnam's leadership, the Airtel Payments Bank will build on this foundation and further strengthen its position as one of India's leading digital banking platforms.”

Bharti Enterprises Founder and Chairman Mittal was appointed as Non-Executive Chairman of Airtel Payments Bank in April 2016. Under his leadership, the bank grew to become India's largest payments bank by revenue, with a strong presence across both consumer and enterprise businesses.

Currently, the bank serves over 121 million monthly active users and nearly 30 million bank account customers through Airtel Thanks App and a network of over 500,000 banking points.

Bharti Airtel further said that Sinha brings over three decades of leadership and board experience across development finance, financial services, public policy and institutional transformation. Her career includes the World Bank, where she advised governments and institutions across Asia, Africa and Europe on governance, risk management and operational effectiveness.

“I am grateful to Mr. Mittal and the Board for their trust in me. I look forward to working closely with the Board and management team to build on our strong momentum, drive the next phase of growth and expand the Bank’s impact for customers, partners and communities across the country,” said Sinha.

On Monday, Bharti Airtel shares closed at ₹1,969.30 apiece on the National Stock Exchange, declining 1.14%.